Ridgeviews Two New Faces and One Familiar Leader

Ridgeview High School is a place where many students come to grow and learn to become successful. Since the opening in 1994, there has never been a school year with three deans until the 2027 school year. Everyone has a role at Ridgeview, but the deans have one of the most important roles in keeping Ridgeview safe. Although most people see the deans as discipline enforcers, that is not always the case. Encouraging good behavior and enforcing discipline are part of a dean’s job, but that is not all they do. This year, Ridgeview’s three deans are Shannon Barnes, Deb Whitbey, and Suzie Kim.

Shannon Barnes has been a dean here at Ridgeview for five years; this year being her fifth, and she has also been a dean at Ridgeview the longest of the three. She loves Ridgeview and how the community has become a safer place for students to go around and not have to worry about there being any conflict or unnecessary issues. “In the last two years, we’ve had kids start asking for mediations to kind of work through their problems rather than handling it out on them, going outside and getting in a fight. That’s what I want students to do to learn healthy ways to handle conflict.” Barnes explains that she has seen Ridgeview students become more aware that there are different ways to deal with conflicts than getting into a fight and suffering consequences. Students can go to different people in the office for help in any way they need, and avoid the consequences that can come with conflict.

Suzie Kim is the newest dean here at Ridgeview High School, as this is her first year working here at Ridgeview. For Kim, being so new, she is still getting used to and familiar with all the different resources we provide here at Ridgeview, including sports, extracurriculars, and the community. “I would say my goal this year is to meet all the teachers. I have not had a chance to meet all the teachers on campus. And getting to know people on campus, talking to them, learning who they are, it’s a big school, with a lot of students, a lot of staff. So just trying to get to know everyone this year.” Kim explains how Ridgeview is a big school with a lot of different people. So meeting the community, getting to know what students and staff here at Ridgeview are like, is a key thing Suzie wants to do as being the new member of the administration on campus

Deb Whitbey, one of our newest deans, has worked in the Kern High School District for 29 years, but here at Ridgeview for 23 years. She was a teacher here at Ridgeview before becoming a dean this year. Whitbey spoke on how she sees Ridgeview as a community and how Ridgeview is becoming a much better school for everyone to enjoy the sports, plays, and performances: “I just think that becoming more of a solid community is going to make our overall atmosphere so much better, and people will see what I see, and that Ridgeview is amazing, and is the one and only place that I want to be.” Whitbey wants everyone to see how good a place Ridgeview is, just like she sees it, and she wants everyone to come together to make Ridgeview an even better place.

Ridgeviews Two New Faces and One Familiar Leader

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